Travelway structure for maglev transportation and a method for manufacturing same

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a travelway structure for maglev transportation comprises: a travelway girder having a concrete girder plate extending from two sides of the travelway girder; a pre-embedded member pre-embedded in the concrete girder plate; and a detachable member installed on the pre-embedded member via a fastener, wherein the pre-embedded member is machinable, and a position for installing the detachable member on the pre-embedded member is formed by a machining process after the travelway girder experiences deformations which lead to errors. A method for manufacturing a travelway structure for maglev transportation is also provided according to the present invention. Specifically, after a period of time, during which the travelway girder experiences most of the deformations caused by pre-stressed tension and gradual contraction and the like, the travelway girder along with the pre-embedded pieces are moved to the machine tools for machining the functional pre-embedded member. Consequently, the installing position of the detachable members can be precisely formed on the pre-embedded members. According to the present invention, the precision of the functional section of the travelway girder in each construction stage can be distributed reasonably so that the difficulty in controlling the precision of the functional section of the integral travelway girder can be overcome. Further, the defects of high cost, heavy weight, and inconvenience in transportation of the conventional travelway girder can be overcome.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a travelway structure, andmore specifically, to a travelway structure for maglev transportationand a method for manufacturing same.

BACKGROUND

Maglev transportation is a high-speed carrier system. When running at ahigh speed, the maglev transportation requires a high precision of asupporting structure (i.e., a travelway structure), especially thefunctional section(s). Currently, according to the types of structuresof the functional sections, the structure of the maglev travelway mayprimarily be categorized into two types described below.

One is a complex girder structure. That is, the functional section(s)and the girder are manufactured separately. DE19841936.8-25 andDE0987370A1 describe such structures, in which the functional section isin steel structure, with each functional surface being manufactured andmachined independently. After pre-embedding a connector in the concretegirder, the girder may be deformed, when the concrete is beingsolidified and during a time of period thereafter, due to factors suchas pre-stressed tension and gradual contraction. After the occurrence ofthe deformations, a machining process is performed on the connectingsurface of the connector. Then, the functional section of the steelstructure and the concrete girder are combined together. Although suchapproach may help to reduce the requirement for the mold manufacturingprocess and may easily control the deformation of the concrete girderbefore machining, the approach has the following defects.

(1) The functional section and the girder cannot form a consolidatedstructure which can accept stress integrally, since the functionalsection and the girder are not formed integrally.

(2) The body of the complex girder structure is heavy in weight and thuscan not meet the transportation requirement of a long trunk line.

(3) The functional section is made of a steel material which may resultin a high cost for building the complex girder.

To overcome the heavy weight and high cost of the complex girderstructure, a consolidated or integral travelway structure, in which thefunctional section and the girder are combined during the manufacturingprocess, is proposed. WO2006005676 proposes a method for integrallymanufacturing the functional section and the girder by using concrete.Then, a detachable member such as a stator or a guiding plate isfastened, in a bolt-connecting manner, directly to a stator supportingsurface or a guiding plate supporting surface located on the concretetravelway girder. Since the position for installing each detachablemember on the supporting surface is formed precisely when the concretetravelway girder is being manufactured, there is no need to perform amachining process to form the position for installing the detachablemember when the detachable member is being installed. According to acomputational analysis, since the functional section has become a partof the girder body, it provides a certain extent of rigidity to thewhole structure and the weight of the girder body is reduced. Moreover,since the functional section is made of concrete, the material cost isreduced. The main defects of such a structure are as follows.

(1) Since the position for installing the detachable member has beenalready located or positioned precisely when the travelway girder isbeing manufactured, it is difficult to control the positional offset ofthe functional surface of the girder body, which is caused by thedeformation due to tension, gradual contraction and the like. Therefore,it is difficult to meet the technical standards for positioning thedetachable member, especially for a long girder and a bent girder.

(2) Due to the tolerance of the supporting surface of the detachablemember, the position for installing the fastener has to be adjusted bythe girder mold. Therefore, the requirement for construction process israised.

SUMMARY

To overcome the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is toprovide a travelway structure for maglev transportation and a method formanufacturing same. Such a travelway structure is conducive to errorcontrol and convenience in construction, and can meet the transportationrequirement of a long trunk line.

The main idea of the present invention is described as follows.

A pre-embedded member which satisfies the strength requirement ispre-embedded in a concrete integral travelway girder so as to connectwith a detachable member. Thus, by taking full advantage of the integraltravelway girder which can integrally accept stress, the weight and costcan be reduced. Since the pre-embedded member is machined only aftermost of the time-variant effects caused by the pre-stress tension,gradual contraction and the like occur. Then, the detachable member ispositioned and installed. Therefore, construction is made easier bymachining, just like the complex girder, and thereby eliminating theoffset errors of the functional surface caused by subsequentdeformations.

Technical solutions of the present invention are as follows.

A travelway structure for maglev transportation, comprising: a travelwaygirder having a concrete girder plate extending from two sides of thetravelway girder; a pre-embedded member pre-embedded in the concretegirder plate; and a detachable member installed on the pre-embeddedmember via a fastener, wherein the pre-embedded member is machinable,and a position for installing the detachable member on the pre-embeddedmember is formed by a machining process after the travelway girderexperiences deformations which lead to errors.

A method for manufacturing a travelway for maglev transportation,comprising: manufacturing a pre-embedded member with a machinablematerial; arranging the pre-embedded member into a mold for thetravelway girder by a rough positioning; forming the travelway girder bypouring concrete; and moving, after a time of period during which thetravelway girder experiences deformations which lead to errors, thetravelway girder along with the pre-embedded member to machine tools formachining a functional pre-embedded member; forming a precise positionfor installing a detachable member on the pre-embedded member; andinstalling the detachable member to the pre-embedded member via afastener.

Technical effects of the present invention are as follows.

(1) According to the present invention, the pre-embedded member in thetravelway girder is initially positioned so as to meet the requirementof rough positioning. Then, a machining process is performed after mostof the deformations, such as pre-stress tension, gradual contraction,occur. Precise installation and positioning is thus achieved.Consequently, the precision of the functional section of the travelwaygirder in each construction stage is distributed reasonably so that thedifficulty in controlling the precision of the functional section of theintegral travelway girder can be overcome.

(2) According to the present invention, the functional section(s) hasbecome a part of the travelway girder. The functional section acceptsthe stress along with the integral structure and fully utilizes themachinability of the pre-embedded member such that the defects of highcost, heavy weight, and difficulty in transportation of the complextravelway girder can be overcome, while the advantage of thecontrollable precision of the functional surface of the complextravelway girder is preserved.

(3) It is easier for the travelway structure manufactured according tothe present invention to meet each technical standard and thetransportation requirement as well.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section view of a travelway structureaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a partial enlarged cross-section view of theabove-described travelway structure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a partial enlarged cross-section view of a travelwaystructure according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a diagram of a pre-embedded member for the stator;

FIG. 5 illustrates a diagram of a pre-embedded member for the guidingplate; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a diagram of a machined surface of the pre-embeddedmember.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Detailed description will be made to the travelway structure of thepresent invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. In the drawings, each identical component that is illustratedin various figures is represented by a like numeral.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the travelway structure according to the firstembodiment of the present invention mainly includes a travelway girder 1and detachable members positioned on the travelway guider. Preferably,the travelway girder 1 may be a pre-stressed steel-reinforced concretegirder with a concrete girder plate 1A extending from two sides. Stators9, as a detachable member, are positioned on the lower surface of thegirder plate 1A. Guiding plates 10, as a detachable member, arepositioned on the two sides of the girder plate 1A.

Referring to FIG. 2, a pre-embedded member 2 for the stator and apre-embedded member 3 for the guiding plate 3 are pre-embedded atpredetermined positions spaced apart along a longitudinal direction ofthe girder plate 1A. The pre-embedded member 2 for the stator includestwo pre-embedded pieces. The pre-embedded member 2 for the stator andthe pre-embedded member 3 for the guiding plate 3 are pre-embeddedpieces which can be machined. For instance, the guiding plate supportingsurface 4 of the pre-embedded member 3 has a machining allowance ormargin for machining. Moreover, to enhance the connection strengthbetween the pre-embedded members and the concrete girder plate 1A,anchoring reinforcing steel bars 5 and 6 are preferably provided on thepre-embedded member 2 for the stator and the pre-embedded member 3 forthe guiding plate, respectively. The stator 9 is detachably coupled tothe pre-embedded member 2 via a bolt 7. The guiding plate 10 isdetachably coupled to the pre-embedded member 3 via a bolt 8.

According to the present invention, when the pre-embedded members areburied into the travelway guider 1, it is not highly demanding for thepositions of the pre-embedded members so long as the requirement for arough position is met. In other words, only “rough positioning” isrequired when the pre-embedded pieces are arranged into the mold for thetravelway girder. “Rough positioning” refers to a level of positioningprecision which can be reached via a conventional civil constructiontechnique. “Rough positioning” does not require a precise positioningwhich requires directly connecting to the detachable members. Then, thetravelway girder 1 is formed by pouring the concrete. After a time ofperiod, during which the travelway girder 1 experiences quite a lot ofdeformations caused by, for example, the pre-stressed tension and thegradual contraction, the travelway girder together with the pre-embeddedmembers are moved to the machine tools for performing machining on thepre-embedded members, such as cutting, milling, grinding, and drillingand the like. Thus, the installation positions for the stator 9 and theguiding plate 10 can be formed precisely on the pre-embedded members.Finally, the bolts 7, 8 are used to couple the stator 9 and the guidingplate 10 to the pre-embedded members. That is, the stators 9 and 10 arethus installed on the travelway girder 1.

In addition, to facilitate the installation of the stator 9, a handhole12 is preferably provided around the pre-embedded member 2 for thestator on the travelway girder 1. Similarly, a handhole is alsopreferably provided around the pre-embedded member 3 for the guidingplate.

In the present invention, since the machining is performed after most ofthe deformations, such as those caused by pre-stressed tension, gradualcontraction of the travelway girder, occurs, the detachable members canbe precisely positioned and installed. Consequently, the problem thatthe precision of the functional section of the travelway girder can notbe easily controlled has been overcome. In addition, the travelwaystructure is imbued with extra low cast, light weight, and easytransportation.

FIG. 3 illustrates a travelway structure according to a secondembodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment differs fromthe first embodiment in that the pre-embedded member 2′ for the statorincludes only one pre-embedded piece.

FIG. 4 illustrates a diagram of a pre-embedded member 2 for the stator.The pre-embedded member 2 for the stator may be designed into a varietyof forms, with different amounts, shapes, and sizes. The shape and thesize are designed such that the pre-embedded member 2 may tolerate theerrors due to the rough positioning of the pre-embedded member and theerror range of the gradual contraction of the girder. The pre-embeddedmember 2 for the stator may be a machinable pre-embedded member whichmeets the strength requirement. The pre-embedded member 2 for the statormay be made of ductile iron casting, steel, composite material and thelike. Generally, the pre-embedded member 2 for stator and the anchoringreinforcing steel bar 5 are connected to each other via a bolt or viawelding. Further, to strengthen the connectivity, the front end of theanchoring reinforcing steel bar 5 may be provided with a button-head ora bending portion as desired. To facilitate construction, a handhole 11can also be provided on the pre-embedded member 2 for the stator.

FIG. 5 illustrates a diagram of a pre-embedded member 3 for the guidingplate. The pre-embedded member 3 for the guiding plate may be designedinto a variety of forms, with different amounts, shapes, and sizes. Theshape and the size are designed such that the pre-embedded member 3 forthe guiding plate may tolerate the errors due to the rough positioningof the pre-embedded member 3 and the error range of the gradualcontraction of the girder. Similarly, the pre-embedded member 3 for theguiding plate may be a machinable pre-embedded member which meets thestrength requirement. Such a pre-embedded guiding plate 3 may be made ofductile iron casting, steel, composite material and the like. Generally,the pre-embedded member 3 for guiding plate and the anchoringreinforcing steel bar 6 are connected to each other via a bolt or viawelding. In addition, the front end of the anchoring reinforcing steelbar 6 may be provided with a button-head or a bending portion asdesired.

FIG. 6 illustrates a diagram of a machined surface of the pre-embeddedmembers. The supporting surface 4 (machined surface) may be cut orground by machine tools so as to meet the precision requirements. Theinstallation position for the stator or the guiding plate may beprecisely formed by drilling a hole 14 by the machine tools. Of course,if the supporting surface 4 is precise enough, a hole can be drilleddirectly without cutting or grinding. Moreover, in order to securelyfasten the pre-embedded members to the mold for the concrete travelwaygirder, it is Preferable to provide on the pre-embedded pieces with aplurality of holes 15 through which fasteners may pass.

Although the travelway structure of the present invention is describedin connection with preferred embodiments, it is appreciated thatvariations and modifications can be made based on the above disclosureby an ordinary person skilled in the art. For instance, although onlytwo detachable members, i.e., stator 9 and guiding plate 10, aredescribed in the present invention, the detachable members, however, arenot limited to the stator and the guiding plate. Some other componentsmay be employed, for example, sliding rails on two sides of the uppersurface of the girder plate 1A. Different detachable members maycorrespond to different pre-embedded members. Therefore, the scope ofthe present invention shall not be limited to those described above.Rather, the scope of the present invention is to be determined by theappended claims.

1. A travelway structure for maglev transportation, comprising: atravelway girder having a concrete girder plate extending from two sidesof the travelway girder; a pre-embedded member pre-embedded in theconcrete girder plate; and a detachable member installed on thepre-embedded member via a fastener, characterized in that, thepre-embedded member is machinable, and a position for installing thedetachable member on the pre-embedded member is formed by a machiningprocess after the travelway girder experiences deformations which leadto errors.
 2. The travelway structure of claim 1, characterized in that,the pre-embedded member includes a supporting surface with a machiningallowance or margin.
 3. The travelway structure of claim 1,characterized in that, the machining includes at least one of cutting,drilling, and hole-drilling.
 4. The travelway structure of claim 2,characterized in that, the supporting surface is provided with a holethrough which the fastener passes.
 5. The travelway structure of claim1, characterized in that, the pre-embedded member includes an anchoringmember.
 6. The travelway structure of claim 5, characterized in that, afront end of the anchoring member includes a button-head or a bendingportion.
 7. The travelway structure of claim 1, characterized in that, ahandhole is provided around the pre-embedded member in the travelwaygirder.
 8. The travelway structure of claim 1, characterized in that,the pre-embedded member is provided with a handhole.
 9. The travelwaystructure of claim 1, characterized in that, the detachable memberincludes a stator and a guiding plate, and the pre-embedded memberincludes a pre-embedded member for the stator and a pre-embedded memberfor the guiding plate.
 10. A method for manufacturing a travelway formaglev transportation, comprising: manufacturing a pre-embedded memberwith a machinable material; arranging the pre-embedded member into amold for the travelway girder by a rough positioning; forming thetravelway girder by pouring concrete, the travelway having a concretegirder plate extending from two sides of the travelway girder, thepre-embedded member being pre-embedded in the concrete girder plate; andmoving, after a time of period during which the travelway girderexperiences deformations which lead to errors, the travelway girderalong with the pre-embedded member to machine tools for machining afunctional pre-embedded member; forming a precise position forinstalling a detachable member on the pre-embedded member; andinstalling the detachable member to the pre-embedded member via afastener.